Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Nani object strongly to Konda Surekha's remarks on Samantha-Naga Chaitanya divorce
Telangana minister Konda Surekha linked Bharat Rashtra Samiti Chief KT Rama Rao to the separation between actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Several A-list Telugu actors slammed Telangana minister Konda Surekha for her controversial remark linking Bharat Rashtra Samiti Chief KT Rama Rao to the separation between actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Chiranjeevi, Devara star Jr NTR, and Nani among others took to X to object strongly to Konda's remark. (Also Read – Konda Surekha retracts her statement on Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Naga Chaitanya's divorce: ‘If you or your fans…’)
Who said what
Chiranjeevi took to his X handle on Thursday morning and wrote, "I am extremely pained to see the disgraceful remarks made by an honourable woman minister. It is a shame that celebs and members of film fraternity become soft targets as they provide instant reach and attention. We as Film Industry stand united in opposing such vicious verbal assaults on our members.
“No one should stoop to this level for scoring political points by dragging unconnected people and more so women into their political slug fest and make distasteful fictional allegations. We choose our leaders to make the society a better place to live in, and not contaminate it by lowering the discourse. Politicians and people in honourable positions should set better examples. Trust the concerned will make amends and withdraw these malicious remarks immediately,” he added. He also added the hashtag, “Film Industry Will Not Tolerate.”
Jr NTR wrote on X on late Wednesday night, “Konda Surekha garu, dragging personal lives into politics is a new low. Public figures, especially those in responsible positions like you, must maintain dignity and respect for privacy. It’s disheartening to see baseless statements thrown around carelessly, especially about the film industry. We will not sit quietly while others make baseless allegations against us. We should rise above this and maintain respect for each other’s boundaries. Let’s ensure our society does not normalize such reckless behavior in democratic India.”
Nani also posted on his X handle on Wednesday night, “Disgusting to see politicians thinking that they can get away talking any kind of nonsense. When your words can be so irresponsible it’s stupid of us to expect that you will have any responsibility for your people. It’s not just about actors or cinema. This is not abt any political party. It is not okay for someone in such a respectable position to talk such utter baseless rubbish infront of media and think that it is okay. We all should condemn such practice which will reflect poorly on our society.”
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma tweeted in Telugu, “I was shocked by Konda Surekha's comments which insulted Nagarjuna's family in the most horrible way. Dragging the most respected Nagarjuna family on the road in the middle of taking revenge on his political rival should not be tolerated.”
Sudheer Babu also wrote on X, “Minister Konda Surekha garu, your vile and misogynistic comments are appalling. Using cinema personalities as political pawns only showcases your desperation. Our fraternity won't be intimidated or bullied by your cheap tactics. You're not just insulting women, you're disrespecting the entire industry that brings pride to Telangana. It's time to shift focus from gossip to governance. Your reputation is already fragile, don't tarnish it further.”
Earlier, veteran actor and Nagarjuna's wife Amala Akkineni took to her social media handles to condemn Surekha's remarks. “Shocked to hear a woman minister turn into a demon, conjuring evil fictions allegations, preying on decent citizens as fuel for a political war,” her post stated.
She expressed her outrage, saying Konda Surekha's comments on her husband were shameful. "Madam Minister, do you rely and believe people with no decency to feed you utterly scandalous stories about my husband without an iota of shame or truth? This is really shameful," Amala added.
Amala asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to restrain his politicians from making such comments and make Surekha retract her "venomous statements" along with an apology to her family. "If leaders lower themselves into the gutter and behave like criminals, what will happen to our country? Mr Rahul Gandhiji, if you believe in human decency, please restrain your politicians and make your minister retract her venomous statements with an apology to my family. Protect the citizens of this country," the letter stated.
Tamil actor, BJP member, and National Commission for Women chief Khushbu Sundar also shared her concern on X. “I thought it was only those who need 2 minute fame and indulge in yellow journalism speak this language. But here, I see an absolute disgrace to womanhood. Konda Surekha garu, I am sure some values were instilled in you. Where have they flown out of the window? A person in a responsible position cannot make such baseless, appalling and degrading statements about my industry, my place of worship. Cinema industry will not be a mute spectator to such abuse anymore. Enough is enough. You have to apologise, as woman to another woman, to the entire movie industry for such baseless and false allegations. Democracy in India is not a one way traffic, but we shall refrain from stooping to your level,” she wrote.
What Samantha, Naga Chaitanya said
Earlier, Samantha reacted to the remarks and said that her divorce was a “personal matter.” Taking to her Instagram story, she clarified that her divorce was "mutual consent and amicable" and there was no political conspiracy involved. Samantha also requested people to stop speculating about her divorce.
"To be a woman, to come out and work, to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props, to fall in love & to fall out of love, to still stand up and fight... It takes a lot of courage and strength," the statement read.
Naga Chaitanya also issued a statement on Wednesday night, stating, “Today, the claim made by Minister Konda surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful.”
Nagarjuna also condemned Surekha's remarks, saying that she should not use the lives of movie stars to criticise her opponents, and urged her to respect the privacy of others. "I strongly condemn the comments of the Minister, Konda Surekha. Don't use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people's privacy. As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately," Nagarjuna said in a post on X.
Naga and Samantha announced their separation on social media in a joint statement in October 2021. They urged fans and media for privacy and support during these difficult times. Samantha and Chaitanya maintained that they will always 'hold a special bond' between them. Earlier this year, Naga got engaged to actor Sobhita Dhulipala.
On the work front, Samantha will be next seen in Citadel: Honey Bunny, while Naga will star in Thandel.